One option was to remain at the University of Houston, where hometown quarterback Bram Kohlhausen began 2013 fall camp splitting time with the first team.

The other was community college 1,500 miles away from Kohlhausen’s family, where a season-ending shoulder injury sidelined him three games into the 2013 season.

After slipping to third on the Houston depth chart during camp, Kohlhausen didn’t hesitate to see what was behind door No. 2.

“I still think it was the right decision to leave Houston,” he said. “I loved being there and I loved my teammates. It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made, but I just felt like I had to take the risk.”

Despite playing just three games at Los Angeles Harbor College before his non-throwing shoulder shelved him the rest of last season, Kohlhausen has reached an agreement to walk on at the University of Texas in the fall. He won’t sign a letter of intent on Feb. 5 — although Kohlhausen also received scholarship offers from FCS schools Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona — but after not hearing from a single suitor through the end of the season burnt orange is looking very inviting.

What appeared to be a series of catastrophes befalling Kohlhausen simply may be the rugged road through community college to a better place.

Like most who choose to leave behind a Division I scholarship for community college, there is nothing more important than being on the field.

For prospects coming off spectacular high school careers — only six percent of high school football players reach the college ranks — simply securing a scholarship usually isn’t enough.

Devon Blackmon is coming off his best season since he was a senior at Summit High School in Fontana three years ago.

The receiver’s 2013 campaign at Riverside City College can’t be statistically compared to his previous two at Oregon, where he didn’t have a catch.

National signing day on Wednesday won’t resemble the experience from 2011, when he announced his commitment to Oregon on ESPN at the Under Armor All-American Game despite scholarship offers from Alabama, USC, Florida and UCLA, among others.

On Wednesday, there will be no microphones or ceremonies. Blackmon quietly will choose between Fresno State, BYU and Boise State.

When Blackmon departed Chip Kelly and company in January of 2013, he was confident he could return to a Division I school. The last year, however, has been a humbling experience.

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“Coming out of high school, you get caught up in all the hype,” Blackmon said. “I feel like I’ve seen a lot at this point. I’m still learning, but I know what to ask these coaches now. I know what to look for in a program and I’m not just asking about the uniforms.”

Blackmon knew his status as a four-star high school recruit would have some sway three years later as did Kohlhausen, the 30th-ranked quarterback in the country when he graduated from Lamar (Texas) High School in 2011.

But in a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately environment, their performances last season carried the most weight.

Blackmon busted out of the gates with 123 yards and two touchdowns in his first game at Riverside City. He finished the season with six touchdowns and demonstrated enough game-breaking ability to land 10 scholarship offers, including those from Pac-12 members Washington, Arizona, Utah, Cal and Colorado.

Washington, for example, was in heavy pursuit as soon as Blackmon departed Oregon but still wanted to see if he had the ability that made him espn.com’s No. 2 receiver in the country in 2011.

“These guys aren’t just going to go off your high school hype,” Blackmon said. “They wanted to see if I could still play and they wanted to see how my attitude had developed since I had been in college. I had some questions for them too, some that I didn’t ask coaches when I was in high school.”

Justin Alo’s recruiting experience out of Carson High School in 2011 certainly didn’t mirror that of Blackmon. The quarterback had one precious scholarship offer, but considering he was born in Honolulu he wasn’t complaining about a list consisting of only Hawaii.

Once a member of the Rainbow Warriors, it didn’t take Alo long to determine his role, or lack thereof. During one redshirt season, he discerned he wasn’t going to be the man.

After carrying Carson on his back to the 2010 CIF-SS City Section championship game — he threw for 2,500 yards and rushed for nearly 800 as a senior — Alo refused to believe he was a backup.

That didn’t mean voluntarily leaving behind the only scholarship he ever was offered was easy. It just out-weighed the free education.

Alo joined one of the most competitive community college programs in the country and consequently wasn’t the starter in 2013 at Mt. San Antonio College. He was primarily a wildcat quarterback last season and will return next year with no guarantees about playing time.

He is yet to receive a scholarship offer, but the fact he left Hawaii is what drives him the most.

“It was tough, but I just looked at both sides of, ‘Do I want to sit on the bench or go somewhere and play?’ ” Alo said. “I took a real big chance coming here knowing I may not get out, but I just look at it as, ‘How bad do I want to get out?’